Saint Louis star point guard Kwamain Mitchell, who hasn’t played this season while recovering from a broken foot, will make his debut Friday night against SIU-Edwardsville.

“I’m excited to be out there. Instead of talking on the sidelines, it was better to be talking with them while actually on the court,” Mitchell told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I feel confident I’ll be ready to contribute somewhat to the team.

Kwamain Mitchell averaged 13.2 points per game over the first three years of his Saint Louis career. (AP Photo)

“It was tough, and it was fun at the same time. I could have been ready last week, but we wanted to be cautious about reinjuring it or me not playing close to my ability.”

Mitchell, a 5-10 senior from Milwaukee, averaged 12.4 points and 3.7 assists last season and led the unsung Billikens to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000. SLU beat Memphis and then took top-seeded Michigan State to the wire in the round of 32 before losing 65-61.

Saint Louis interim coach Jim Crews said he will ease Mitchell back into the playing rotation and will be sure not to overwork him Friday or in Monday’s home game against New Mexico, which upset No. 8 Cincinnati on Thursday.

He practiced for the first time with the team Wednesday and is eager to play to lead a team picked to challenge Butler, VCU, Saint Joseph’s and Temple for the Atlantic 10 title.

“He wasn’t out for the full practice, but he went through it and to my eyes he looked good,” Crews said. “I’m not the doctor, but from my eyes he looked good. What’s hard is the conditioning situation. You can condition non-basketball in the pool, on the treadmill. There are a million ways to do it, but it’s different from basketball conditioning.”